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William E. Carson (1870–1942)

William E. Carson, chairman of the Commission
on Conservation and Development, was a Virginia businessman whose friendship with
Harry F. Byrd elevated him to
political prominence in Virginia in the 1920s. Disagreements with the more-powerful
Byrd over commission matters and his own political ambitions, however, led to a
falling out. Though Byrd declined to renew Carson's commission appointment in 1934,
Carson remained chairman of the Democratic committee in the Seventh District until
1940. MORE...

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William Edward Carson was born at Enniskillen, (now Northern) Ireland, on October 8,
1870. He came to America in 1885, took over his father's lime-manufacturing plant at
Riverton, and turned it into a lucrative business. From 1908 to 1919 he chaired
the board of directors of the National Lime Manufacturers Association, during World
War I (1914–1918) he served with the War Industry Board, and from 1923 to 1926 he was
a member of the Hampton Roads Port Commission.

Will and his brother, Adam Clarke "Kit"
Carson, became friendly with Winchester neighbor Richard Evelyn Byrd, which led to close friend-and-mentor
relationships with Byrd's sons, Harry and Dick. These friendships moved Carson into Democratic
Party politics; he led the Seventh District Democratic Committee and served on the
state central committee from 1910 to 1940.

When Harry Byrd ran for governor in 1925, Will Carson managed his campaign. As a
reward for his efforts, Byrd appointed Carson to be the unpaid chairman of the newly
created Commission on Conservation and Development, whose primary task was to promote
Virginia as a favorable location for new businesses and destination for tourists.
During his tenure from 1926 to 1934, Carson had roadside markers
placed to designate historical sites and encouraged the creation of the Colonial
National Historical Park, which connected Jamestown,
Williamsburg, and
Yorktown.

Byrd also assigned Carson the task of
collecting pledges and acquiring land for the newly created
Shenandoah National
Park, an assignment Carson energetically carried out. He discovered, however,
that land prices far exceeded earlier estimates, tripling the acquisition costs.
Carson recommended that Byrd cut the size of the park in half by eliminating some of
the higher-priced land. The result was a smaller, but more manageable park. Carson
also utilized the advice of his brother, Kit Carson, to draw up legislation to reduce
litigation in the acquisition of park lands. Carson's negotiations with U.S.
president Herbert Hoover in the establishment of Hoover's fishing camp on the
Rapidan River
in Madison County
were a prelude to the development of Skyline Drive.

The Commission on Conservation and Development reflected its divided nature in the
creation of Shenandoah National Park for both scenic and commercial purposes. This
rift also manifested itself in the objectives of its two creators, Harry Byrd and
Will Carson. Although both thought the commission could help develop the state, Byrd
focused on the need to lure industry, while Carson emphasized the appeal of
Virginia's natural resources and history to tourists and business alike. Byrd
eventually took the value of the tourist trade seriously, but the influence of
Carson's more subtle advertising approach enabled him to become the commission's
driving force. He was later recognized for his work when a peak in Shenandoah
National Park was named for him.

Carson's ambition for higher office and his
efforts to keep the commission out of politics soon cost him his friendship with
Byrd. When they disagreed about the appointment of a new secretary for the commission
and about compensation for Carson's brother for his legal services, their
relationship cooled. Byrd supported George Campbell Peery for governor in 1933
instead of Carson, and when the commission was reorganized in 1934 on a paid basis,
Carson announced his retirement after it became clear the Byrd Organization would not
offer him the post of chairman. He returned full-time to his business activities in
Riverton and died there on March 25, 1942.

Time Line

October 8, 1870
- William Edward Carson is born in what is now Northern Ireland.

1926
- Virginia's General Assembly creates the Commission on Conservation and Development, and Harry F. Byrd names his good friend William E. Carson as the agency's first chairman.

1933
- Harry F. Byrd supports George Campbell Peery for governor of Virginia instead of William E. Carson, a move that effectively ends the friendship between Byrd and Carson.

April 9, 1933
- William E. Carson spends time with President Franklin D. Roosevelt at Camp Rapidan, in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, and convinces the president to put the Civilian Conservation Corps to work establishing state parks in Virginia.

1934
- William E. Carson announces his retirement from politics once it becomes clear that the Byrd Organization will not offer him a job as chairman of the Commission on Conservation and Development in the new administration.

1934
- A portion of the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park is opened after William E. Carson successfully lobbies President Franklin Roosevelt and the U.S. Congress to use federal funds on roads in and near the park, including the "skyline drive along the mountain top."